A New Era for the Spurs

A fan’s guide to the 2018-19 Spurs season

By Kathleen Petty

For the first time in 16 years, the Spurs will take the court without Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili. Add to that the loss of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green and it’s no secret that the Silver & Black’s lineup will look drastically different as they vie for a playoff spot in 2018-19. Change always brings trepidation—particularly in a town as devoted to its team as San Antonio—but longtime observers say there’s no reason not to expect success from coach Gregg Popovich and his newest iteration of the San Antonio Spurs. “One thing they—Pop and R.C. (Buford)—have always had is success. It’s funny for people to think that all of that would disappear just because the team is different,” says Dan Weiss, the newest member of the Spurs broadcast team. “The Spurs always do best when they’re flying under the radar.”

3 Predictions from the Experts

1. Expect Some Growing Pains

Jeff Garcia, News 4 San Antonio/Fox29 lead Spurs writer: “Expect the regular season to start strong, but the team will go through growing pains along the way. With new pieces added to the roster (DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, Dante Cunningham, Lonnie Walker IV, Marco Belinelli) and a changing of the guard in San Antonio with Manu Ginobili retired, the Spurs will need time to become a cohesive unit, but they’ll get there in time.”

Dan Weiss, Spurs Live studio co-host: “If the Spurs do what the Spurs do and go to work, I think they’re going to be fine. Teams have ebbs and flows in the season. Last year the Spurs lost four in a row on an East Coast trip and then all the sudden they turned it around and were 15 games above .500 going into January.”

Greg Simmons, KSAT sports director/anchor: “The loss of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili will have an impact on team leadership.”

Shea Serrano, writer for The Ringer: “They’ll do all right. I think they’ll win 49 games.”

2. Losing Kawhi Hurts, But New Impact Could Come From Unexpected Places

Simmons: “Losing the future of the franchise in Kawhi will be hard to replace, but the best deal out there was for DeMar DeRozan and he is looking forward to playing with his good friend Rudy Gay, who he teamed with in Toronto in 2013. Having Marco Belinelli back will also help put more points on the board and with Derrick White emerging that will take some of the sting out of losing Danny Green.”

Garcia: “Losing Leonard will hurt despite the negative feelings fans have about the former Spur. The franchise lost a franchise-type player. Losing Parker and Ginobili will sting on the experience front. As for Green, in a word: his defense … (For unexpected impact,) I am looking at two players: Derrick White and Jakob Poeltl. White has been proving he may have what it takes to be a solid contributor on the NBA level. He led the Austin team to a G-League title in 2018 and put up big numbers while doing so. Poeltl is just 22, entering his third NBA season and showed flashes of what he can do in his final season in Toronto.”

3. The Spurs Will Make the Playoffs

Simmons: “I still believe that not only do the Spurs make the playoffs for the 22nd straight season, but I also believe they could be one of the top three teams in the Western Conference.”

Garcia: “With Gregg Popovich still patrolling the sidelines and having them primed and ready as the postseason nears, the Spurs should be fighting for a seed between six and eight. The usual suspects will be atop of the West (Warriors, Thunder, Rockets, Jazz, Blazers, Timberwolves), but lurking in the shadows will be San Antonio, who will be ‘that team’ that no one wants to face in the opening round of the playoffs.”

Weiss: “The team is still expected to be a contender for a playoff spot—like they have been for the past 21 years. Golden State is probably the best team in the conference and then Houston, and then I think you’ve got a lot of teams that are very close together in terms of their talent. There will be a lot of competition for the three through eight seeds. It will make every game in the Western Conference especially important.”

6 Games to Watch

Picks from the experts on which games not to miss

Oct. 27 vs. L.A. Lakers / Any game in which LeBron James appears is a must-see for NBA fans. With just a few games behind him with his new team, Spurs fans will get an early preview of how LeBron’s L.A. crew matches up with the Silver and Black.

Nov. 10 vs. Houston Rockets / Often touted as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference, this Texas rival always brings its best to San Antonio.

Jan. 3 vs. Toronto Raptors / Will Kawhi Leonard play during his team’s single trip to San Antonio? Will he interact with Pop? Expect the drama (or at least speculation about it) that Leonard brought to the off-season to return as the Spurs ring in the New Year.

Jan. 14 vs. Charlotte Hornets / After four titles and 17 years with the Spurs, Tony Parker will don a different jersey when he appears on the AT&T Center court this season. The January home game is your only chance to see him play in the Alamo City.

March 18 vs. Golden State Warriors / With three championships in the last four years, the Warriors are expected to again dominate the West.

April 10 vs. Dallas Mavericks / It’s no secret the Mavs haven’t been a championship contender in recent years, but the I-35 rival almost always makes it a close game. Plus, this could be your last chance to see Dirk Nowitzki play.

Follow Along

Miss the post-game show? Follow these four accounts on Twitter for recaps and Spurs news

@mattbonner_15 The former Spur and current Spurs on-air analyst is full of insights

A Few Minutes with Rudy Gay

The forward signed a one-year deal to return to the Spurs this season, after joining the Silver & Black for the 2017-18 season. During the off-season, Gay also made his first foray into fashion—partnering with Superism to release a kids’ clothing line called “We Can All Ball” (available on Zappos.com). The Maryland native chatted with us about fashion design and the upcoming season.

The Spurs have gone through a lot changes in the offseason. Do you see yourself having a bigger role on the court? It’s all about the team as a whole—I’ll be ready (for) whatever coach asks.

What would you want fans to know going into this season? We have a lot of talented players on this team. A lot of people count us out, but I expect us to be better than ever and compete for a championship.

You have two sons, Clint and Dean. Did they inspire the clothing line at all? I always knew I wanted to design clothes, but my kids remind me daily that boys will be boys, which was a strong influence in the collection. I wanted them to look good but feel better when it’s time to play and be active.

What’s your personal style like? I like to look sleek and comfortable. Fit is very important, as well. If it’s for something more formal, I want to stand out but keep to classic pieces.

Are any of the items in your line similar to things you wore as a kid? Growing up in a city like Baltimore, fashion wasn’t really at the forefront of my mind as a kid. That’s one of the reasons I incorporated orange and black into the collection—I wanted to pay tribute to the place that raised me.

You and your family started the Flight 22 Foundation. Will Zappos partner with your charity efforts? My family and I began the Flight 22 Foundation to serve disadvantaged youth through events and initiatives throughout the year in my hometown of Baltimore and second home of San Antonio. I see a lot of room for collaboration between Zappos and Flight 22 to do great things for the community in the future.

Get to Know the Newbies

Lonnie Walker IV

6’5”/196 pounds

Position: Guard

How he got here: First-round draft pick

Previous team: University of Miami (rookie)

What to know: Walker averaged 11.5 points per game at Miami, is quick and can score on the fast break and from the perimeter.

Chimezie Metu

6’10”/219 pounds

Position: Forward

How he got here: Second-round draft pick

Previous team: USC (rookie)

What to know: Metu fractured his wrist in summer play but before the injury was shooting 55 percent and averaging 12.5 points per game.

DeMar DeRozan

6’7”/220 pounds

Position: Guard

How he got here: Traded from Toronto as part of the Kawhi Leonard/Danny Green deal

Previous team: Toronto Raptors for nine seasons

What to know: A first-round pick when drafted, DeRozan was a 2018 All-Star who had 23 points per game last season.

Jakob Poeltl

7’/230 pounds

Position: Center

How he got here: Traded from Toronto as part of the Kawhi Leonard/Danny Green deal

Previous team: Toronto Raptors for two seasons

What to know: He was picked ninth in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft and may see more playing time in SA than he did in Toronto.

Marco Belinelli

6’5”/210 lbs

Position: Guard

How he got here: Signed two-year deal as free agent

Previous team: Philadelphia; Belinelli has played for nine teams in his 11 years in the NBA, including the Spurs for two seasons, 2013-15

What to know: Belinelli was a clutch 3-point shooter in the Spurs’ 2014 Championship run.

Behind the Camera

Meet Dan Weiss, the former voice of the Rampage and new co-host of the Spurs Live pre- and post-game shows

When Dan Weiss realized he wouldn’t be playing on his high school’s state championship–contending basketball team, he did the next best thing: He reported on them. That first experience with broadcast and play-by-play reporting led Weiss to Northeastern University in Boston, where he studied broadcasting and gained experience as the play-by-play announcer for the school’s hockey team.

After stints in Corpus Christi, New Jersey and with the Phoenix Suns, Weiss joined Spurs Sports & Entertainment in 2009, where he’s worked with the San Antonio Rampage, San Antonio FC, the former San Antonio Stars, the Spurs G-league team in Austin and the Spurs’ online broadcast. This season, he’s stepping into a new role as co-host of Spurs Live, replacing Andrew Monaco.

Weiss admits the job will be a departure from the play-by-play style that he’s focused on with the Rampage but says regardless of what sport he worked on at Spurs Sports & Entertainment he remained tuned in to the NBA. “Preparation is one of the things I pride myself on and that probably won’t differ even though I’m not going to be doing play-by-play,” he says. “For Rampage games, I spent two to three hours before every game creating notes on every player.”

A Boston Celtics fan growing up, Weiss says it’s tough to be in San Antonio and at the Spurs organization and not become a fan. While there will certainly be plenty of discussion about the changes to the Spurs team this season, the fan and analyst in him says there’s every reason to be optimistic. After all, winning is the Popovich way.

Watch Party Destinations

Not going to the AT&T Center? Consider these four places to eat and drink local while watching the game

Cullum’s Attagirl

You won’t be out of place for shouting at the TV here. Try the original hot chicken or smoked PB&J wings. A rotating list of craft beers, including from San Antonio’s Weathered Souls, take the edge off the stress of close games. 726 E. Mistletoe Ave., facebook.com/cullumsattagirl

The Cove

Take that game food up a notch with grass-fed burgers from 44 Farms (including the Texas burger that includes refried beans, cheese and avocado), organic tempeh tacos with cilantro coleslaw and sweet potato hash. There’s an outdoor patio, plenty of TVs and a playground for the kids who don’t want to focus on the game 606 W. Cypress St., thecove.us

Boiler House

Arrive during happy hour to take advantage of the “six-by-six” deal that includes $6 bites—like fried curry chicken balls and deviled ham-n-eggs—plus $6 cocktails and wine. Order a main course and another drink to extend your stay through the fourth quarter and watch on the two big screens near the bar. 312 Pearl Pkwy., Bldg. 3, boilerhousesa.com

Hoppy Monk

Choose from over 50 craft beers, including several local options, a menu that includes I.P.A. wings and rabbit barbacoa tacos and arrive early enough to save a table at the side of the bar where TVs cover the wall and cheering is expected. 1010 N. Loop 1604 E., thehoppymonk.com/sanantonio

2 In-Arena Updates to Look For

1. Chef Johnny Hernandez will offer selections from his menus at Burgerteca and La Gloria, along with cocktails, in a new bar and eatery on the balcony level of the east concourse. Seating will provide a view of the arena (there will also be TVs showing the game).

2. The Silver Dancers, who cheered and performed during Spurs games for the last 26 years, are being replaced with a co-ed Spurs Hype Team that officials say will be family-friendly and feature elements of dance, acrobatics and stunts.

Photos Courtesy NBAE/Getty Images

This article appears in the October 2018 issue of San Antonio Magazine